No change to Bafana rankings
2008-05-08 22:04
Johannesburg - The Bafana Bafana ranking impasse, which has Fifa looking on anxiously over the role the host nation will make in the forthcoming Confederation Cup and World Cup competitions, remains becalmed in the latest world tabulations.
South Africa are in an unaltered 69th position in Fifa's world rankings and a modest 13th in the African rankings - a far cry from the all-time high of 17th in the world and number one in Africa reached briefly after annexing ther African Nations Cup in 1996.
Fifa secretary-general Jerome Valcke has warned this week during his stay in South Africa of the importance of the host nation reaching at least the semi-final stage of the eight-team Confederations Cup and the last 16 of the 32-nation World Cup in order not to risk a deflating loss of enthusiasm in the tournaments locally.
And Bafana's current ranking - although a marginal improvement from the 13-year low of 79th in the world which South Africa occupied 15 months ago - is not designed to ease Fifa's misgivings.
The untimely resignation of world-respected Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has only added to these misgivings, with a daunting task now facing incoming Joel Santana as the coaching replacement in the firing line.
Ghana meanwhile hold onto their rating as the top African nation while positioned 14th in the world - two places higher than African rivals Cameroon.
Argentina continue to shade Brazil at the top of the world rankings, with World Cup holders Italy in third place, Spain fourth, Germany fifth and The Czech Republic, France, Greece, Portugal and Holland completing the top 10 in that order.
England, despite failing to qualify for next month's European Nations Cup tournament in Switzerland and Austria, somewhat surprisingly cling to 11th position.
Africa rankings
Monthly Africa rankings released by world football governing body Fifa (first figure Africa ranking and second world ranking):
Ghana 1 14
Cameroon 2 16
Ivory Coast 3 22
Egypt 4 30
Nigeria 5 39
Guinea 6 40
Mali 7 44
Morocco 8 45
Senegal 9 46
Tunisia 10 53
Angola 11 65
Zambia 12 67
South Africa 13 69
Mozambique 14 71
Equatorial Guinea 15 73
Democratic Republic of Congo 16 82
Gambia 17 83
Togo 18 86
Ethiopia 19 89
Libya 20 90
Uganda 21 92
Congo 22 93
Zimbabwe 23 95
Gabon 24 99
Algeria 25 100
Tanzania 26 102
Benin 27 103
Sudan 28 106
Cape Verde Islands 29 107
Burkina Faso 30 108
Rwanda 31 110
Botswana 32 112
Burundi 33 119
Kenya 34 120
Mauritania 35 123
Namibia 36 129
Eritrea 37 132
Malawi 38 136
Liberia 39 138
Madagascar 40 146
Chad 41 147
Swaziland 42 154
Niger 43 158
Lesotho 44 159
Sierra Leone 45 166
Mauritius 46 171
Seychelles 47 175
Guinea Bissau 48 175
Djibouti 49 179
Comoros Islands 50 195
Somalia 51 197
Central African Republic 52 198
Not rated: Sao Tome e Principe
- AFP